The German government is planning to cut the red tape involved in legally changing gender after the country’s cabinet approved draft legislation earlier this week.
The move has been welcomed by LGBTIQA+ rights groups but criticised by opposition politicians.
The current laws are based around legislation introduced over forty years ago, the 1980 Transsexual Law requires people to undergo surgery and engage in an expensive court process to be able to officially affirm their gender.
Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (pictured) says he is confident that the parliament will pass the proposed reforms. Buschmann said concern that changing the laws would make it easier for men to access women’s spaces were unfounded.
“Everyone has a right to the state respecting their gender identity,” Buschmann said. “The current law harasses transgender people. We want to end this undignified situation.”
Under the new regime proposed applicants would simply have to file documents at a registry office. If someone changes their gender, they would not be allowed to change it back for a year, and people under the age of 14 would need a parent or guardian to lodge the paperwork.
The laws also include the introduction of punishments for people who reveal another person’s gender history without their permission. Those caught breaking the new law would be subject to a fine.
Family minister Lisa Paus said the arrival of the new laws would be a “big moment” for transgender and intersex Germans.
OIP Staff, Image by Sandro Halank, Wikipedia, published via a Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0 License.
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